Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought the intervention of the Centre to repatriate the Indian citizens, including three from Kerala, trapped in war-torn Ukraine after they were forced to join the Russian Army.
In a letter addressed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday requested immediate action to repatriate three youths from Kerala, who have been identified as Tinu, Prince, and Vineeth, natives of Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram district.
Chief Minister Vijayan, in the letter, said Prince got badly injured in an encounter and was hospitalised while Tinu and Vineeth are posted elsewhere. He also said that the matter was taken up with the Ambassador of India in Moscow and the Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry on March 16 and 19 respectively. But there has been no response from both so far, the CM said in the letter..
The youths went to Russia on January 23, 2024, to work as security personnel. According to the letter, these youths were betrayed by their agents after promising them jobs in Russia and were forced to join the Russian army.
The families of the three youths claimed that they were initially lured to Russia by a recruitment agency with the promise of a substantial salary of Rs 2.5 lakh. However, upon arrival, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, and they were allegedly coerced into fighting for the Russian forces in Ukraine.
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had said that all efforts are being made to bring them back. Muraleedharan said that the Indian government was aware of the issue and is engaged in discussions with Russia to facilitate the return of Indians who wish to come back.